The Dark Riders saga 1 part 1/?
by Aquila
Summary: This is a saga about five kids becoming spies for a rebel army. If you succeed, honor and glory will be yours, if you fail, the forces of eveil shall reign supreme, for eternity. This is the non-graphic version.


Chapter 1   
Perhaps I should tell you. Yes, everyone in this world deserves to know. But, I can't tell you. Not now. Not while the darkness lives on. I cannot reveal to you who I am. But I can tell you one thing. Beware the darkness. Or, I am sure you have never heard of the darkness that has covered our world. Or why our crops have failed and our rivers dried up. Our world or splendor and beauty reduced to the dead world of cold, hard, darkness. But, I cannot tell you the solution until you hear the problem. None of this horror, would have ever taken place if our king had been a stronger man. Us, the Anocians have our own deadly enemy. Our allies have not arrived yet, to help us defeat our enemies. We have waited thirteen moons. Our enemies took us captive. Our country was captured. We were reduced to them. The dark wizards. Perhaps, soon, you will understand. Their leaders. Now, they rule our country. Their armies of death choked our land of its colorful beauty. We are doomed. But, we do not lose hope. As a new light is rising. Our king may not be strong, but our people are. We rebel. We have formed a rebellion. Our headquarters are hidden deep within the clutches of the mysterious forest. While our people grow stronger. The land does as well. There is now little fertile soil among our land. Maybe, you can help us. Aid the rebellion, as we also call them, The Dark Riders. Avoid the darkness. That is your quest. Be careful now. THE DARK IS RISING!  
  
Chapter 2 Anusoto   
I woke up. The night air was cold. I rolled off of my straw pallet. I could hear father snoring from the next room. That was a good sign. I thought about the dream. THE DARK IS RISING! It echoed through my brain. I t gave my a cold icy feeling which swept cold throughout my body. My name is Anusoto. Everybody I know calls me Anu. But, usually when my father calls me, no matter what name, he usually holds a whip. I was hoping he would sleep forever. So I would be free from beatings. He started becoming more violent after the dark lords took over. I think he works for them. He once saw me listening-in on a conversation he had on a communication stone, I know he was talking to a dark lord. He slit my ear afterward. I still have the scar. Daylight flittered in through my window. I quickly dressed. I ran outside, and was careful not to slam the door. I couldn't be caught as a lazy boy, or you know what that would have meant. More nursing the blood to stop leaking from my ears or arms, or large welts on my back. Though he never damaged my face. I hauled water into the house. Father sat at the table. He glared. "Where is my breakfast?" He snapped. "Coming up, sir." I never dared to call him father. He smiled, his smile was broken and twisted. "Well, after breakfast, you aren't my problem anymore." He grinned. Maybe this meant we weren't in debt anymore. And he wouldn't whip me for not getting enough money from the metal I sold. "How?" I asked. I winced. He didn't strike. "Well, get me some break fast and I will let you read my tax papers, you of all people should know about this." He grinned again. He looked happy. This wasn't good. I warmed over some gruel. When I scooped out my portion I was careful to make it about half of what Father had. He ate slowly. I looked at the tax papers. Method of Payment: Able bodied fifteen year old?   
What? He was selling me. I flashed him a look of disgust. "That's right, I don't have to deal with you any longer, Anu." There was a knock at the door. Two large men holding chains stood at the doorway. "We came to collect our payment." They grunted. I ran to my room. I didn't really have anything useful to take, but my pokemon -rapidash, electabuzz, seadra, and rhyhorn. Father stormed in. The two large men followed him. One hit me over the head. They put shackles on my wrists and ankles. It was difficult to walk. My head throbbed from where they hit me. I was loaded into a wagon, and they sped off. The cart jostled on every bump. The men talked in a low voice, they spoke the language of the dark ones. They drove the wagon for a long time. The sun was high in the sky. They made me stand on the burning cobblestones of the city while people walked by and asked for prices. One old man seemed very interested by me. He was wearing a cloak which covered his entire body, including his face. He hobbled over. "How much for the young one?" "Fifty golden pettanos." One of the men said. Oddly enough, he dug into a very large money bag and pulled out the coins. The large men undid my shackles. The old man led me down an alley. "What is your name son?" "Anusoto." He removed his hood. It wasn't an old man. It was a young man. He looked to be about twenty years old. "Here, take this money, or I can tell you who I am." He offered the half full moneybag. "I want to know who you are, you freed me." I said. "I am the leader of the Dark Riders. Since I told you who I am, I can not give you this money, and walk away. You will have to be a Dark Rider." "My name is Corosco." He grinned. He was a very young man. "I have freed many of our people from being slaves. The ones of us with money give all they have, to give others a second chance." He slipped his hood on again. "I will lead you to our HQ. I will tell you about being a Dark Rider on the way. I am hoping to make a small group of teenagers to form a group of spies." He went on like that for a while. We wandered into the woods. It was dark and gloomy. When we were within the reaches of the trees. Corosco removed his cloak entirely. "The Twilight Riders, is what I will call them." I had heard enough about spies to know everything. So far, he only had me, out of five. He led me to an old mansion. He opened the cellar. "This is our HQ, see Tana over there to get some food clothes and a place to sleep, she will then lead you to the weapons room, where you will receive the weapons I have ordered her to giver you." Corosco vanished among all the other people in the crowded cellar. The girl named Tana led him to a room. She had him sit down. There were four other beds there beside his own, for the other Twilight Riders. The Girl, Tana came back and handed me a sword and a heavy iron shield. Good thing I know how to fight. I laid back and fell asleep. I was a Dark Rider, and now I could have revenge on my father.   
Chapter 3 Narashia   
I awoke with a start. I had a very strange dream. I rubbed cold sweat out of my eyes. THE DARK IS RISING! That thought scared me. They also said something about the rebellion about to fail, I hoped that wasn't true. The Dark Riders hold all the hope we have left. I am Narashia. I live on a tiny farm, that used to be inside a circle of fertile soil. But all it is now is a sand pit. I help my uncle farm. Me and my little sister, Unae live with him. Mum died shortly before the Dark took over. In a civilian massacre. She was one of a hundred killed that day. Father left shortly after they found her body. He wanted to be in the rebellion, to avenge her death. So we can to live with my uncle, Sir Egad. Unae was still sleeping. Small bits of sunlight poked through our ragged curtains in our living room. I got off my straw pallet. I could heard Egad's snores from down stairs. I was already dressed. I pulled my pokeballs on my belt. I have four pokemon-Alakazam, Exeggutor, Starmie, and Gengar. Despite what you believe, the perfect ensemble for a farmer such as myself. Alakazam, to do a lot of the heavy work with its mind. Exeggutor, to work with the seeds, so they grow strong, Starmie, plants do need water, and Gengar. Gengar protects us when we work in the dark. He gives us the gift of invisibility, when I ask. I ran out the door. I was tempted to slam the door, to wake Unae. But, I felt generous, so I let her sleep. I walked out into our garden. The beets and oats weren't doing well. So I had Starmie water them. I recalled Starmie. I fingered the soil. It was so much like sand. It fell through my fingers. Unae always said. "Rain will come, this afternoon, it will." But, there haven't been any clouds in ages. No rain, nor fog, or mist. Even a drizzle, and we would celebrate. But no. More of starmie to keep us alive. If it wasn't for my pokemon, we would have starved ages ago. I plucked a few raspberries off of a bush, for breakfast. I wandered around the garden, checking its state. I held the little dying tendrils. Our farm would fail soon. I knew it. Unae ran out of the house. "Did it rain?" She asked excitedly. I shook my head. Her black pigtails drooped. I nervously played with my hair. I always had it hung in "tails". Not pigtails, tied so they would stick out, but low, "tails." We didn't say anything more after that. We did our chores. We finished weeding and pulling as the sun grew low. I snatched up an onion for dinner. And a beet too. We sliced them and Egad woke up in time for dinner. He gulped down his onion, and beet, and water. "I have to go out. Don't leave the house. I will be back by morning." Unae stared. Maybe Egad was going to go drinking again. But, he put on his armor. He was so fat, it didn't go below his stomach. He snatched out a spear, and left the house. He was not going drinking, this was serious. Unae and I went to bed, there wasn't anything better to do. I napped for a few hours, then got up. Egad wasn't back yet. I had to go look for him. I grabbed my pokemon. I pulled out a gourd and filled it with water in our dry-sink. I slung it over my shoulder. I left the house. I wandered out into the woods near the back. I dodged trees. Then, I heard a familiar voice croak, "Narashia, is that you?" It was uncle Egad. He laid on the ground. His spear was broken. I saw his stomach. His unprotected stomach. It had a long gash on it. Egad held it. I pried his hands away. The skin around it was charred green. It was full of dry blood. He groaned. I was going to pour water on it, but he stopped me. "Narashia, I didn't want to bring you into this. The wizards, they struck. You have to go in my place.. Go into the forest, that way, you'll find the Dark Riders." "I am supposed to join the rebellion?" I asked. "Just go!" He yelled. "Narashia, be- be care-" He stopped mid sentence. He fell over backward. He didn't stir. I felt like I was about to burst. He was dead. I ran. I ran straight the way he told me. I stumbled through small streams. I ran around logs. And I reached a clearing. There was a large house. I heard voices behind me. "Who are you?" They asked. They wore the black cloaks of the rebellion. "I wanted to become a Dark Rider." I said. "Come." The motioned for me to climb into the cellar. The cellar was alive. There were people all over. Going in and out of rooms, arguing. Everything. "Corosco, this girl wants to be a Dark Rider." One of the men who led me down her said. "What is your name, and age?" He asked. "Narashia, fifteen." I said. "Narashia, Narashia? Daughter of Asam?" I nodded. Corosco leaped with joy. "I want to put you in a spy group. The Twilight riders." Corosco dragged me to a room, marked, Twilight. "The boy in here, will tell you everything. I will get you your father's weapon." I walked into the room. A boy sat on one of five cots. I sat on one next to his. I found out my mission. I am a spy! His name was Anusoto, but I was supposed to call him Anu. He was really nice. Corosco held out one of my father's weapons. It was a large battle axe. I stared. It was long, and made out of silver. "Is it too heavy?" Corosco asked as I held it. "No." I swung it. It was long and powerful. I sat on my cot. Anu and I talked for a while. I was a Dark Rider. I was going to follow my father's footsteps. I was going to avenge my family.  
  
Chapter 4 Giovanni   
I awoke with a start. THE DARK IS RISING! Didn't everybody know that? And who was that voice? I am a Dark Rider. My name? Giovanni. I am an archer in the Pledwin group. Believe it or not, the only Dark Rider with an actual bow. To many cross bows. They are faster, but less accurate. I laid back down on my cot. My friend Untian nudged me. "Wake up! We have a mission!" HE snorted. I got up. We were on call two to three times a night. Every night. During the day we slept. I spooned a little gruel into my mouth. I grabbed my bow and quiver from under the cot. I slipped my pokemon on my belt. I had a rapidash, magmar, golduck, raichu, and a gengar. I got some fresh arrows from the weapon room. We got on our rapidashes and we were off. Racing to another mission. Nobody would believe it only took us ten minutes to get ready. I pulled out my bow. I readied it with an arrow. All of my companions, all ten of them, readied swords, and scythes, and crossbows. I controlled rapidash with my voice and commands from my legs. We ran into an open clearing. We recalled our pokemon. I still stood ready with my bow. We ducked into the grass of the meadow. Then we saw them. Wizard loving soldiers. About twenty of them. And then I saw him. His dark eyes serveying the scene. They were cold and unforgiving. The leader of the darkness. Santag. I held my quivering bow. I had the arrow good and ready, but I couldn't shoot him. He might have some protective spell on him. I shot one of his comrades in the chest instead. He fell I readied another arrow. I shot it. My friends that had swords ran up and charged. They showed their grace. Their speed. They avoided blows and gave their own. Five more soldiers fell in a sea of blood. I shot from afar. Then I saw it. Santag. He was watching his soldiers die, but then sent out a sea of fire in my direction. Stopping the archers. We ran. To the forest, as fast as we could. It was a magical fire. It wouldn't singe the forest or the meadow grass. Only burn humans. It would stop a half a mile into the forest. I knew. Because it could sense Santag that far. I reached the forest. I watched the fire behind me. Rampaging closer. I was scared. I kept running. All of the other archers did the same. "Scatter!" I heard the swords men yell. They were running too. I called out rapidash. I jumped on its back. Big mistake. In the few second I took to get on rapidash. The fire was right behind me. We sped off. I didn't have a good grip on the reins. I was falling off. I could feel the fire on the black cloak the Dark Riders wear. I beat it away. I lost my grip. I tumbled to the ground. I laid there, in the path of the fire. Sprawled out. The fire stopped. It had reached its distance. My cloak was on fire. I lept up and stamped it out. I was safe. I couldn't say for my friends. I trotted back on Rapidash. Back to the HQ. We failed to assassinate Santag. The old bearded wizard came back into my mind. I still had my bow. I had my pokemon. I still had my life. I went into the HQ. It was the roughest two hours of my life, and I've seen a lot. Corosco stood in waiting for news. I told him. "OH, the fire." He drooped. "But, Giovanni, you are being promoted. To archer in the Twilight Riders." He said. HE showed me the room. Me a fifteen year old. A twilight Rider. I always wanted to be a spy. There was another boy there. His name was Anu, he was a swords man. And a girl. Narashia, she owned an axe. I fell asleep on my new cot. A twilight rider, who would have thought?  
  
Chapter 5 Synge   
THE DARK IS RISING! That voice echoed through my head, it was like a dream, but I was awake. It was so strange. I am Synge. I can't exactly tell you I am anything special, we're just a small five person family in the town of Swonfro. Inside our little corner house. Down Hopeno alley. That's where we live. I can tell you that. Oran and Poruna, my little brother and sister respectfully, were still asleep, while I sat up and pondered my awake dream. I shivered and drew the blankets more tightly around me. The window was open again. How many times did mother tell him to close it at night? I would have to step on him to close the window. It would serve him right. I pulled my dress on over my nightclothes. I climbed onto the table, in the little room me and my siblings share when we sleep. I stepped on the bookshelf, so I wouldn't have to step on Oran and I sat on the Adobe windowsill. A few candles were lit in the next house. A wizard lives there, I know. I usually sit up here when I can't sleep. I hung my bare feet out into the night. I looked down the three floors to the ground. it kind of scared me, so I climbed back inside. I closed the window, to save Oran from certain doom in the morning. I climbed back into my bed and fell asleep. I woke to the smell of breakfast in the morning. I was still in my dress. I grabbed my pokemon, and ran down to breakfast. What? I didn't tell you what pokemon I have. Oh, I have a ninetails, and a vulpix. My magmar, and my growlithe. All fire. I love fire. I shoved my pokeballs into my skirt pocket. Mother smiled brightly as I ate the bowl of oatmeal she handed me. Father carried a large package in his arms. While I ate, they opened it. I saw what was inside. New clothes. Not the kind of clothes you want to wear, but the kind you have to. My father showed me my new dress. It had the Dark Wizard's symbol everywhere, I couldn't wear this. I loved the rebellion. I loathed the wizards. "I have to wear that?" I croaked. Father's eyebrows narrowed. "Do as you are told Synge." "I hate the wizards, I'm not wearing that in public." "Come on Synge, these clothes are so comfertable!" Oran said. They were too little to understand. "I won't!" I yelled. "You will!" Father yelled. Oran and Poruna stopped running around. "I will not go outside with that on!" I screamed. "Then you will not leave your room again!" He yelled. He forced me into my room and locked the door. I stayed inside. I would not wear that dress. I wouldn't. I sat on the windowsill. I could easily leave from here. But not during the day. I waited until it was dark. Good thing I had wanted to leave for the rebellion earlier, so I had a weapon and suitable clothes to wear. I changed into a pair of black pants, and a bright red tunic. I put my pokemon on my belt. I grabbed the spear I kept hidden under my bed. I went to the door to listen. I heard many voices from the keyhole. My father's: "We pledge our lives to you, Mordaca, and you Santag. My mother's: "We will not fail you, honorable ones. And your new apprentice, Coroni." They were handing over their loyalty. I ran. I flung open the window. I was about to climb out when Poruna tried to stop me. "Don't go Synge!" "I have to." I mumbled. "Well, take this then." She said. She handed me her ponyta. "Keep it safe. Good bye." She said. She watched me hang onto the clothes line. I pulled one hand over the other. I was close to a small wall platform. I stepped on it. It was a small leap down to another clothes line. I hopped down. And down, I shimmied on the taut clothes lines. I felt solid ground. "Goodbye. Poruna." I said quietly. I pulled out her ponyta. I rode it. Out of the city. Into the meadow. Where a war raged. The rebels seemed to be clearing ground. I saw them. it was a battle of blood. I gripped my spear. I readied it. I saw it. One man close to me. A rebel. He battled with a wizard. And another snuck up behind him. To stab him in the back. I threw my spear. It hit him in the back. He crumpled to the ground. I pulled out my bloody spear. "You saved my life." he said. "Are you a civilian?" he asked. I nodded. He gasped. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the woods. "I am Corosco, I lead the Dark Riders. It was honorable for you a civilian to see me in trouble and to save me. Thank you. Our hideout it straight that way. Tell the guard, Corosco tells me of twilight." I ran that way. Through the dark forest. I saw an old mansion. "What are you here for?" I heard two guards behind me. "Corosco tells me of twilight." I said. It was an odd password. "Corosco, tell you, a skinny little girl?" He chuckled. "Quiet, Tu. Remember when you were a skinny little boy?" The other argued. I watched them. "Well, Corosco must believe in you. If he wants you to become a Twilight Rider, one of the Dark Riders' spies." I was excited. "We will show you where you will go. The other Twilight Riders will tell you about it. They showed me the cellar of the mansion. The hideout. The showed me the small room. I met the others. Anu, Narashia, and Giovanni. But now there were four. I the fourth. Synge.   
  
Chapter 6 Josh   
I awoke. I lay in the soft meadow grass, I quickly stood up. I had forgotten my task. I quickly counted them. Good, no sheep were missing from the flock. They had all laid down for a rest. I should tell you. I am Josh. I am a common shepherd boy. I come from an unusually large family. With a very small little house. I was very glad when my father told me to watch the sheep. Day, and night. I pondered my dream. THE DARK IS RISING! That thought echoed through my head. Of course, I could tell. A group of the Dark Wizards always walked through our field every night. They scared me out of my wits the first time. I remember it. When the Dark first took over. I was watching the sheep. They asked my my station. I was scared, they scared me. I feared that they would kill me like they had hundreds of other people. I ran, into the house. They followed me. My parents sorted the whole thing out. "Don't mind him, he is only a boy." My father argued. The wizards left. My parents didn't punish me. They gave the wizards a lamb, for their trouble. To make them not treat us like commoner vermin. Mother always said. She gave them lambs all the time. I shivered. I wrapped my blanket tighter around me. The night was chilly. I had to stay awake. It was tough. I had been watching the flock for three straight days now, with only several packed meals. I stared at our little hut. The candle was lit inside. Mother was probably worrying like she always had. Father fussing over taxes. Too many taxes. He moaned. Though, he never paid them with me or any of my six little brothers and sisters. We were all still here. I never knew how he had done it. We had barely enough to eat as it was. Dawn approached. I walked to the house. I opened the door. I was out of lunches. "Mother. I am tired. I am hungry, I haven't had any sleep in days." "Good, you are learning how to work 'ard." She said in her accent. She always thought of me as a slacker, I was sure of it. "Braun!" She called Father. "Josh ish tired, let him sleep, watch de' flock." She said. He left the hut. I pulled my blankets up to my neck. I slept for a while in front of the fire. I awoke again. "Josh. I have news to tell you." Father said. I sat at the table with him. "There are certain events at hand. I have found you a wife. You are now betrothed to Miram de Marchopen leDecon." I choked on my vegetable broth. "Miram?" I had met her before. There were four words to describe her. Mean, ugly, cruel, and awful. "I have to tell you. Her father has been paying our taxes. In exchange for you." Father said glumly. I fingered my pokeballs in my pocket. "I am handing you over tomorrow." I listened to his voice. "So, Braun, you haf told him. He will be elping our family, feel proud Joshua." She said. She was big on honor. I said nothing, I was angry. I let out my pokemon in the field. I had Cyndaquil, pidgeotto, weepinbel, raticate,gyrados, and noctowl. Father joined me. "You aren't happy with me, are you josh?" He asked. "No." I said. "Well, I am not happy with me either." He shrugged. "I offer you a choice. You can choose your own destiny. I can give you my whip, and you can make something of yourself, or, I can give you to the father of Miram. Your decision." "You mean it? You'd let me go, and become a Dark Rider?" "Is that what you want?" "YES!" I recalled my pokemon. I hugged the blankets over my shoulders. I laughed. "Can I go now?" I asked. "Here." Father handed me his weapon. His bullwhip. I fingered it. "Good bye Father, what will you tell mother, and Miram?" "I won't tell mother anything. I will tell Miram you are dead, otherwise her father will get suspicious." "Right, because he is a Dark wizard." I said good bye again and ran off through the tall grass. Through the countryside. I was free. I knew where the rebels were gathering, getting new recruits. I ran into the village square. There were no wizards here. Several cloaked men stood there. "Do you want to join the Dark Riders?" they asked. "It has been my dream." I said. They introduced me to their leader, Corosco. I was to be a spy. I was so excited. They gave me a black cloak to wear over my gray tunic. Corsco was so happy, he had the five spies he wanted. I was happy. As night fell. I breathed deeply, from my cot, in the Twilight Rider's room. I was a Dark Rider.  
  
Chapter 7 Giovanni   
Three months later. I woke up on our cot. Corosco was nudging me. That meant we had a mission. We were on call two to three times a night. We slept about four or five hours a night if we were lucky, one if we weren't. It was usually three. This was the second time tonight. The rest of the Twillight Riders, Anu[soto], Narashia, Synge, and Josh were all sleeping. Corosco made sure I was awake, then he left the room. I got off of my cot and poked Anu. He tossed and turned. I basically punched him and hissed, "We have a mission!" He sprung awake. While he stretched I poked Narashia, she was a light sleeper so she woke up with the first poke. Narashia shook Synge, who awoke, while I poked Josh. Josh refused to wake up. He always did that. I poked him some more, while the rest of them were getting ready to go. Synge took out her spear, and said loudly. "Get up Josh! You don't want to make me have to use this!" He got up quickly. They were all ready to go. Narashia fingered one of her long black "tails." She didn't exactly have tails on her head. Her hair just looked that way. Synge pulled a comb through her rather plain brown hair. Which is sometimes a mass of curls. Narashia's is basically trained to stay in those tails, while Synge's hair flies everywhere, and she is constantly brushing it out of her face. I grabbed my quiver and bow from under my cot. Anu was sheathing his sword. Synge was inspecting her spear for cracks. Josah has the coolest bullwhip. And Narashia was hooking her axe to her back. We all were equiped with polished iron shields, with the crest of Anocia on it. We topped our selves off with our black cloaks. Corosco stood waiting at the door. "Ready?" he asked. We all said yes in turn. Believe it or not, that only took us eight minutes. "We think the wizards in Tokofu village have discovered information about one of our prime army groups. You job is to find that information and bring it back to me. They have not had it for more than a day. Take as few civillian casualties as possible." Corosco wouldn't like it if we killed one civilian. It would be a long ride to Tokofu. Three of us had horse transport. Synge had her ponyta, while Anu and I owned rapidashes. Josh prefered his Noctowl. Narashia usually rode with either Anu or me. We got out our pokemon. Corosco saw us off. He seemed to think it wiser if Narashi took a backward watch off of Anu's rapidash. We went off. I was in the lead, being able and ready to pick people off from afar with my already cocked bow. Next, rode Synge with her ponyta. She held out her spear. Josh flew over head. Keeping a high watch over the landscape ahead. Anu and Narashia rode last. Anu steared his rapidash, he sword was ready. Narashia sat backwards holding her battle axe. We were completely covered. In case of an ambush. We reached Tokofu village after a long, silent ride. We saw nothing until we were at the boundry. We were to invade the leader's house. Which wouldn't be much of a problem. They were having a party, and all the soldiers were drunk. We had the edge now, being completely sober, healthy, and awake. We recalled our pokemon. I borrowed Narashia's gengar. It formed an invisible wall between us and the soldiers, I wouls shoot to get their attention, while the rest of them attacked from behind. I shot, while the others ran around behind. I shot into armor, I think I even killed a few trying to get their attention which I hardly borrowed from their beer. They didn't notie that five soldiers lay next to them, onthe ground dead. Then they realized. The took out their swords. They looked around for me. They didn't see me. Narashia slipped into the leader's house. He was sleeping inside. Synge Josh and Anu began to attack. Synge thrust her spear forward. Blood poured on the ground. Josh cracked his whip. I hoped Narashia would hurry before the leader woke up. I shot. One after the other. They fell. I heard a scream, it was the leader. Narashia held the axe in her left hand, papers in her right. Her axe was bloody. She must have struck him when he woke up. The leader was very much sober. He ran out of the house. His right hand was missing. Ouch. We were smart enough to scatter. We quickly called out our pokemon. And we ran for it. We quickly got back to the HQ. We suceeded. Corosco was pleased. We had completed another mission, but all we cared about was sleep. We slumped onto our cots and fell asleep. We had completed yet another mission.  
Chapter 8 Synge   
I awoke quickly. Giovanni was poking me in the face. Not another mission. The awful thought ran through my brain. "I'm up!" I said. "Fine, Synge." he said. Narashia was stretching. And Josh was snoring behind me. "Get up , Josh!" "Okay, I'm up, I'm up..." he muttered. He slumped back on his pillow. Narshia lit the candle in our room. Anu returned from the kitchen with five bowls of rice porridge. "Just give me five more minutes...." Josh moaned. As soon as he smelled the porridge, Josh lept up, snatched a wooden bowl from Anu's arms and ran back to his cot. He snarfed it down quickly. He had rice in his hair after he was done. "That was the first time I've ever seen a guy get porridge in his own hair." Narashia whispered to me. I sniggered. We got on our weapons after that. Ate our porridge, and went over to hear the mission details. "OKay, I'm gonna have to ask you to do something really dangerous." Corosco started. "We can do that." Anu said. Josh snorted. The big dollop of porridge slid down his forehead. he wiped it away while giovanni and I laughed. Corosco gave us a stern look. "Out of the papers you supplied me earlier tonight I found out what the Dark knows." I listened eagerly. "All they know about the Dark Riders is that one of our officers, Ronabas Gribber, kept a diary with information about the Dark in it. He copied some of it, but the rest is burried with him." "What do you mean copied?" Giovanni asked. "He was making another copy, and he never got the chance to finish. "Your job is to go and find his grave in the catacombs, dig it up, and bring the original back to me. It might have useful imformation, and I don't expect you to be back tonight." "What's so dangerous about it?" Anu asked. "A group of Dark Wizards should be passing through that exact valley right about now, keep a careful eye, and get there and back as fast as you can. Break." Into the catacombs, the crypt? That place gave me the creeps. We got on our pokemon. Narashia rode with Giovanni. We had our weapons ready. "Hee hee. Synge still has a ponyta." Giovanni sniggered. "It isn't nice to upset someone with a weapon behind you." I said. Giovanni shut up. I am so tired of his making fun of my ponyta. I already told him it was my sister's. "Into the crypt, of all the places we could be going." Narashia started. Narashia fingered her axe. It belonged to her father. Her father was a Dark Rider, one with a very high rank. Corosco was told by Asam-Narashia's dad- to give her that axe when she joined. Anu was sold, like a slave. I ran away. Giovanni has been a Dark Rider for a long time. Six, nine months now, somethimg like that. It was a long ride to bloodstone valley. It was a natural labyrinth. We went around the twists and turns. Exactly like the map. We reached the secret opening. We recalled our pokemon. We pulled back the boulder. It was a sea of death inside. LOng rows of stone coffins. Engraving all over the walls. Cobwebs covered everything in an eerie dust. Anocia has benn using this catacomb for centuries. That's how long we have been battling with the Dark. They have buried all the dead in this catacomb. Ful of ancient skeletons. Yuck. It gave everybody else the creeps too. We actually had to open a coffin. We started looking at the names. We patrolled the front halways. I called everybody else over when I saw a particular name. We all stared at that single grave.   
Chapter 9 Narashia   
It was my father's grave. I stared at it. My eyes burned from holding back tears. I had lived on the hope he was still alive for so long. Since forever. I shivered in the icy wind of the crypt. The catacombs, what ever you want to call it. It's all the same, a glistening river of pale, cold, death. I ran my fingers over the engravings on the coffin. Date of death. It was exactly six months ago. Exactly, when he was protecting his friend from the wizard's magic fire. My Father's friend survived. He did not. Or so it said on the poem.   
Thy peaceful warrior, lay his head Down after the battles or so they said. Burned to death by magic fire, Seeing his family, his one desire. Protection of his worthy friend, The once powerful warrior met his end. The Adjama name, will not take final breath, His daughter, Narashia, will avenge his death.   
I was shocked. This, this was engraved. The rest of them stared ackwardly at me. "How, how did he know, that you would be a Dark Rider?"Anu asked me. "I, don't know." I said quietly. "But, you are the only one who might actually know." Giovanni said quickly. "Give her a break, Giovanni. Who wouldn't feel good if you found out your father was dead." Synge said. Giovanni didn't come up with a sassy remark, he stayed quiet. I think he still had a family. There was more of the poem. I read it aloud.   
Narashia, the Dark Rider, will use what's there, hidden in her father's lair. His weapons, she will find, bring destiny, and peace to mind. Killing Darkness, she and her friends, Twillight Riders to the very end.   
"What?" Synge said. She wasn't the only one. "Well then, open it up." Anu said. The four of them had their hands on the sides of his coffin, waiting to open its lid. "NO!" I stopped them. "Father wouldn't want his corpse raided, even by his daughter. There was something he always said. Because you can see it, doesn't mean it's real." "But what exactly does that mean?" Josh asked. I examined the coffin. It was a little higher than the others. "It's underneath!" I yelled. The others gave me some room. I took my hand. I moved it along the edge of the stone, directly at the bottom. I felt the rough surface. I moved my hand slowly. No one spoke. There was nothing on the right side, or the bottom. But on the left side, my hand passed through the stone. I reached inside and pulled out the weapons I found. It was a shield, a hammer, and a note. I read the note aloud. "I knew you would find this note, Narashia. I have left my three weapons to you. I believe you already have my battle axe-" "How does he do that?" Giovanni asked again. "- my hammer. Is no ordinary hammer. You throw it, like a boomerang. It will come back to you. My shield-" I examined his shield. The outer surface was shiny, unlike the dull edge of the iron one I have now. "- can deflect magic attacks. Use them well. Asam Adjama" I picked up the hammer, it was made of silver like the axe. It very light, for a hammer. I fingered it. It was mine. "Well, throw it." Josh said. I held the hammer tight. I threw it over my head. It flew swiftly like an arrow. It made the noise like a crackle of thunder. I caught it. "Wow." Anu muttered. "Cool." Synge. "Well, let's stop gaping and get that diary." I said sharply. We continued on through the crypt. Anu held the candle tightly. He led the way. We searched the names of every grave. We found the name we wanted. Ronabus Gribber. We all gulped and opened the grave. Dust flew. I stared into the grave. The man inside was not a skeleton, or even rotted. He looked as though he died in his sleep. "I am not grabbin' that diary." Giovanni said. He pointed at the diary that Ronabus held in his hands. "I call, not it!" I said. "Not me." Synge agreed. Anu backed away. "Fine, babies." JOsh snorted. He reached into the coffin. He emerged with the diary in his hands. He shuddered. We left the crypt. We had the diary, and I knew what happened to my father.   
  
Chapter 9 Anu   
We left the dirty, dusty, sea of death behind us. We left the valley. The bloodstone valley. We were hardly twenty feet from the reaches of the deep crimson stone when we saw dark figures behind us. We all removed our weapons and held them tight, ready to strike, if needed. Narashia clutched her battle axe. Josh held his bullwhip. He twisted it to get a better strike if necessary. Synge held her spear over her head. Giovanni held an arrow ready. The string of his fully frawn bow quivered in the moonlight, that shone through the blood red canyon. I unsheathed m sword. We all stood ready. There they were, Dark Wizards, I was sure of it. They stood close enough to us that we could see their faces. They stood there, with smug looks on their faces. Our eyes locked. Five of them, five of us. A battle royal. We each picked our target. "Dark Riders, the scum of Anocia." the leader muttered. "Scum only stares in the face of a bigger scum." Giovanni spat. He held the arrow ready. "Send your arrow, archer boy, I am unarmed now." The leader retorted. There was something funny going on. Giovanni removed his arrow. He glared with full force into the stone face of the Dark. "Tethebwins! Let thou soldiers join the night!" I knew there was something funny about them. They were Tethebwins! They could resurect the dead. Only a hundred a night though, because of some ancient curse. We sent out our pokemon. Even if we would lose, we weren't going without a fight. "Electabuzz!" I shouted. "Alakazam!" Narashia added. "Golduck!" Giovanni chimed in. "Ninetails!" Synge, in turn. "Go, Raticate!" Josh finished. "The little spies with their little pokemon." They laughed. The darkness echoed. The earth rumbled. We recalled out rapidashes, Synge's ponyta, and Josh's Noctowl. The skeletons rose. The flesh on their worn bones was half rotted and slimy. They were utterly disgusting. I felt about to vomit. We attacked. More in defense, really. We had to defeat one hundred skeletons a piece. But, we had pokemon. We each had at least three pokemon. That would help. "Electabuzz, thunderpunch!" I screamed. The tiny bolts of lightning erupted from Electabuzz's fists. A few skeletons fell. "Golduck, Hydropump!" Giovanni spoke. It was responded by, "DUCK!" Water flew. The bones became soggy and they split at the seams. The cartelidge that held them broke and they flew everywhere. Synge's ninetails didn't need to be told what to do. It attacked immeadiately. It burned skeletons, and their broken, rotted bones. "All skeletons of the night combine their power, use your attack, THE SEA OF DEATH!" Narshia wasn't stupid. When she saw the large skeleton that was being formed from all the normal sized ones, she sent Alakazam into battle. Josh's raticate snagged a bone from the ankle of the giant skeleton. "Alakazam, Psychic!" Narashia screamed into the moonlight. "Death ray!" The leader called. The black beam erupted from the empty eyesockets of the skeleton. Just as the purple one shot from Alakazam's. The skeleton faultered as it stepped on it's ankle. Apparently that bone raticate removed was a key one. The beams met. There was a sudden explosion as the black beam died and the skull of the giant exploded. "Electabuzz, kill the leader!" I yelled. No more leader, no more tethebwins. The night erupted in the thunder. The giant skeleton raced and dove to protect its master. It lay on the ground and twitched. It was a horrible sight. Something already dead, twitching. It shattered into a shower of small bones. The leader cursed. I heard several of the group say, "Those were all the dead I could command tonight." "We'll kill you ourselves!" I screamed. I clutched my sword. I ran up to them. They pulled out their own swords. "Anu!" I heard Narashia's scream. I heard the clap of thunder. I dove to the ground. One of the Dark was going to stab me in the back. Though he never got the chance. Narashia's hammer drilled a hole through the center of him. He collapsed on top of me. His blood littered the ground, that was already showered with bones. Josh's bull whip pulled down another. Synge threw her spear and ripped off yet another head. Giovanni called his match and proved how weak Dark armor is. I was about to slash the leader to bits, but he disappeared. I heard his voice. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT BOY! NO BODY DEFEATS YAPONOSO!" His voice cursed some more then flickered and died. We won.  
Chapter 10 Josh   
We returned to the HQ. We handed the precious diary to Corosco. He sneered as we told him what happened. "D*mn those Tethebwins! D*mn them to he//!" Corosco shook his head. "And it gets worse. One of the Anti-Dark villages has been captured. Some of the valuable land the Dark Riders possess." He flipped through the diary. "This will help." He turned to Narashia. "So, you found out what happened to your father?" he asked quietly. Narashia looked strange. Her face was blank. Her black eyes glowed. "Narashia, I must speak with you in the weapon room, alone." Corosco continued. She nodded. They entered the storage room and closed the door. "What are they saying?" I hissed to Anu. "No idea." Anu hissed back. Synge pushed Giovanni out of the way of the keyhole. "That won't help." Giovanni sputtered. "How do you know?" Synge spat. She had her hair clutched up against the keyhole of the wooden door. "What are they talking about?" Giovanni hissed. "I can't really hear anything." Synge reported. They opened the door. The pile of Dark Riders collapsed in a heap. "I have decided that since the episode with the Death Commanders that each of you will have three weapons. The one you have now, and a small dagger that you can hide in the cuffs of your boots, and you have other weapons." He trailed off. He held up some other weapons. He handed me another weapon. It was a sickle. I held the curved blade. "Cool." Was all I could say. "Go, Josh!" Synge said. Corosco handed her a long awl. She held it. She examined the hole in the top that would have been for inserting poison. Anu was handed a lance. He examined the six foot metal pole. And Giovanni received a long rope. It had a large grappling hook attached to one end. "Where's your weapon, Narashia?" I asked. She pulled out the Hammer of Truth. "My father's hammer." She said quietly. Corosco asked me to help him decide. I already had mine." "SO what village do we have to liberate?" Giovanni asked. "It's a small village, near the Tosho Pass. It's called Serena." I almost swallowed my tongue. That was my village. My mouth dropped open. "What?" Synge asked. "That, that's my village, or at least about a mile from. Where we live is on the brink of Serena." "Really? Then you'll know the area better than any of us." Anu added. Corosco snorted. "Well, us Twilight Riders at least." It would be a strange night. Riding into the Darkness. Taking an attack on a wizard village. The more ground the Dark Riders gained, the better. This mission might be vital to our survival. We were already awake. We just fine-tuned for our next mission. Drank water. Prepared our weapons. The usual things. "Synge, what are you so happy about?" Giovanni asked. Giovanni thoroughly enjoys picking on Synge. "I get to carry poison. In my awl." She said. She had an odd, twisted grin on her face. "But, I have to carry a vial of antidote with." She held up a small glass vial, it was full of a crystal clear liquid. "What poison?" Narashia asked. It was always nice to have a little conversation while we traveled. "Nightshade, and Spythis powder, with a little Toko Seed paste, and Alder root." Synge knew plants. She was our group botanist. She patted her awl. "Not too many soldiers will be able to stand up to one stab, I can tell you that." "I wish my sickle could carry poison." I said, a little pouty. I fingered the curved blade. I loved my sickle, from the wrapped leather handle to the razor sharp tip. Giovanni snorted. "The tethebwins had better not show up in Serena. Yapanoso's head will roll when I'm done with him." "Will it be round enough for me to play Japini with?" I asked. I was jokingly trying to lighten the mood from death. "You haven't been able to play Japini in about a year, you'd be terribly out of practice." Narashia protested. She grinned. I suppose Narashia liked the lightened mood. In case your wondering, Japini is a sport played with large leather balls, thrown, kicked, whatever into a small hole, where they score points. "How far away from the main village are we?" Anu asked. "About half a mile." "How about we stop at my house for tea while were at it!" I offered. No one took me up on it. It's hard to be the clown. Especially when we were so close to a mission. "Here we go again." Synge said flatly. "I'd agree with that." Giovanni said. "Pokemon ready?" I heard Anu's call. It was responded by, "Exeggutor!", "Rhyhorn!", "Ninetails!", "Cyndaquil!", and "Raichu!" I kept asking myself, how did we get into this? Here we go again. Off to save the world. Again.  
Chapter 11 The Siege of Serena- Major mission #1 Anu   
We ran off to the outside of the village. We hid in the dense shrubbery surrounding the minuscule town square. Farmers, civilians, children, all being marched off-hands tied behind their backs- to join the party of death that would soon reign. I swallowed. We stood, pokemon ready. In an hour or two, we would be joined by back up. More soldiers. More bloodshed. We first had to liberate the jail, which was near us, help the farmers escape, and drive the guars out of town. There were only thirty guards. We stood ready. We all went in different directions. We attacked. Narashia and Giovanni were going to go into the jail, to free the farmers and the Dark Riders that were captive there. The rest of us, we had to hold them off, and give the others' time. Narashia and Giovanni ran into the jail. I heard quite a few loud cackles of thunder, and the Twang! of a fully drawn bow. We attacked. Ninetails, and Cyndaquil picked off the front line of the six soldiers. I hopped on Rhyhorn's back. "Horn Attack!" I yelled. I watched as Rhyhorn gored every human being in his path. All of them wearing the Wizard's Mark.   
Giovanni   
There weren't too many guards in the jailhouse, as illogical as it seems. Narashia and I were easily able to pick them off. The citizens were pleading to be let out. Tears rolled down bloodstained cheeks. We couldn't let them out until the threat Anu, Synge, and Josh were battling was gone. There was a loud Thwack! The back wall of the jailhouse was crumbling. A large hole was being formed. When the dust of the stone bricks had been settled, the Wizard's Mark shone brightly in the jailhouse candlelight. "Raichu!" My Raichu stepped in front. It was eagerly joined by Narashia's Exeggutor- all of its faces burned with hatred. Even the happy face was contorted. "Raichu thunder!" I yelled. "Exeggutor! Psywave!" Narashia yelled. I saw the glittering white circle that spun toward the cracked wall. The beams of electric light that crumbled and burned every man in its path. I held an arrow ready. I saw that face. That scarred face that I recognized from long ago.   
Synge   
We were kickin' butt! We grinned at each other for a second. We praised our pokemon at the pile of the thirty dead soldiers. Then we heard the screams. It was Narashia's and Giovanni's scream. We exchanged horrified looks and sprinted into the jailhouse, that was half crumbled by now. What we saw there was enough to make anyone weak at the knees. It was Mordaca. The sorceress. Her eyes were a deep green. They were cold and unforgiving. "The rebels have come to free the slaves." She laughed coldly. She had Narashia and Giovanni tied up in a corner. Their weapons were with them at least. She glared at us. Her smile was twisted and cruel, and it gave me an icy feeling that ran through my blood. I held out my awl. What she did next was horrible. She gripped the underside of her chin with her left hand. I could see her long nails dig into the flesh. She pulled upward, like she was pulling off her face! She actually was pulling off her face. What we saw underneath, wasn't human. It was the Demon Goddess, Lilith. Her eyes were slits like that or cat eyes. Her green flesh was slimy. Long tentacles hung off her body. Mordaca's dress fell to the floor. She wore a medusa-like dress of torn white fabric. Her teeth were the long fangs of a demon. This was not good.   
Josh   
This was definitely not good. Three versus one. The one with the advantage was not who you think. Lilith flashed her fangs. She reached out for Synge. Her cat eyes glowered. Synge collapsed. Anu reached out for Synge. He felt her pulse. "She's only KO'ed" He mouthed. Quickly, I picked up Synge's awl, and held out my sickle. Then, Lilith began to transform. She started out slowly. I recognized the monster. It was a Copula, it looked a lot like a dragon. It's scales were as tough as Rhyhorn's armor. Maybe stronger. Unfortunately, Narashia's unconcious Exeggutor couldn't beat it. I struck quick. I flashed my sickle. And my whip. With two quick strokes. I didn't see the large welts that should have been there. Anu gave me a horrified glance. He moved ever closer to Narashia. He pulled out his dagger. And he cut the ropes. Narashia lept up and grabbed her axe. Litlith struck at the same time. She knocked the bullwhip and the sickle from my hands. My flesh burned from where she touched it. I grabbed Synge's awl from the floor. Lilith looked surprised I was going in for another attack. "Go ahead, boy! Nothing can get through my armor." She didn't move. All she did was taunt me. I circled her. I looked for anywhere where the poison awl would hurt. There, on the neck. A small patch of skin. I drove the awl into Lilith's unprotected neck. Even a transforming demon should know the weakness of it's morph. She knocked me flat with the back of the copula's giant claws. I hit the wall. Everything went black.   
Narashia   
Lilith threw the awl away. She had wrenched it out of her neck. The blood was green. It should have been red. She was badly poisoned. She clutched at her heart. She stumbled. I saw the small glass vial roll out of Synge's hand. Lilith saw it too. The antidote. I lept up and ran to grab it. I stumbled and tripped. I went flying. I slid on the floor, about a foot from the bottle. She tackled me. I dropped my axe. I wrenched my arm from under her body. I grabbed for my axe. But I couldn't reach. All I could feelt was the pressure. I couldn't reach anything, but Synge's boot. Lilith was madly trying to grab the vial. She swung her arm, trying to reach it. She couldn't either. SYNGE'S BOOT! I grabbed out the tiny dagger. I shoved it into her neck, like Josh had done. She writhed with pain. She lifted up enough for me to grab my axe. I swung the flat side. Lilith screamed in fear as I brought the force down onto the small bottle. It burst. The floor was covered with glass. The crystal liquid disappeared. Lilith's poison was catching up with her now. She transformed back. She clutched her chest and fell to the ground. We liberated Serena. We won.  
Chapter 12 Anu   
We returned to the HQ. We were a little logy, from being hypnotized, body slammed, thrown against the walls. Ect. But, we had all our weapons. We liberated the village without the backup, and were just in good spirits overall. Corosco was content to let us sleep. We rested our bruised bodies, slunk onto the cots. Sleep didn't come easy for me, there was something about Lilith. Something odd. Why did she come in with phantom armor on? I tossed and turned. I sat up, as the sun was rising. Josh was also sitting up. I walked over to his bedside. He was clutching his arm. I looked at it. Part of his hand, the flesh, was an acid green. "What happened?" I whispered. "Lilith touched me, with her own flesh." "We should show that to the doctors, and to Corosco." He agreed. We tip-toed out of the room. We found Corosco organizing papers, by the light of the sun. We showed him the demon mark, that Lilith left. "That'll clear up. I've had one all the way down my arm once. It's a lot like chicken pox spots, it'll itch, and hurt for about a week." Josh seemed relieved. We went back to bed. I fell asleep. I had this dream about the battle before. Corosco woke me up. "Another mission, a day one." He muttered. But, we never had missions during the day. I woke the others. Josh had his aarm bandaged, with some ointment, to keep it from swelling. "Here's the deal. I got a hot tip, from a wizard spy. He said that we, er, you, could pretend to be wizard lovers, the royalty kind, and go to a fancy dinner party at a wizard officer's palace." "What, a party mission? I'm starting to like this already." I muttered. Synge and Narashia giggled. "It's a formal party." Corosco continued. "With fancy clothes." Giovanni and I looked at each other. Synge's eyes were very wide, and very bright. "The plan, is to go to this dinner party, this private one, and to get the officer drunk. Ask him about their new hideout, and he will probably tell you where to find it." Corosco looked at his pocket clock. "It will be very dangerous-" "More dangerous, or less than the last few?" Josh asked. Corosco glared at him. He slowly walked behind Narashia. "And, It's tonight." "Tonight!?" We all asked. Corosco nodded cruelly.   
"I hate parties!" Giovanni growled. We sat in a fancy coach. We had large packages of fancy clothes to wear. We had to look like lords and ladies. "Lady Ahanakana, fromt the house of Gent?" Narashia asked. "Torinata de Marco? Duchess?" Synge asked. "I don't think I could spell it." "Lord Roto. That's easy enough." Giovanni muttered. "Orano Grepato." I said. I didn't like my name. "Yapanoso? I don't want that name!" Josh yelled. "Oh, Haponoto. I read it wrong." He shrugged. What were we getting ourselves into this time?  
  
Chapter 13 Giovanni   
"I hate parties!" I snapped at Anu. We were inside the palace. It was our job to get the secret plans by pretending to be Dark officials. Royal officials. "Yeah, How can the members of the court wear this?" Josh flashed me a look of disgust. We all hated our tuxedos. Anu's and mine were an elegant black. But, Josh wasn't wearing a tux. "A long robe, it's PINK!" he yelled. He picked up the decorative robe. "Haponoto is a spirit tamer, you must dress like one." I argued. Josh picked up his staff. It had an engraved sun on it. I dropped his gold circle on his head. "Here's your crown, Haponoto." I laughed. Josh picked up a transparent blue robe from the ground. He slipped it over his disgusting pink one. It was a shade of purple. Better. Less pukey. Anu and I slipped the golden hoops around our foreheads. We actually did look like royalty, as weird as that sounds. Earlier, we bathed, the filth literally floated off us. We basically all day to get ready. The girls still weren't ready yet. We had to wait until Synge and Narashia were ready. "Are they done yet?" Anu asked impatiently. "First, we need to drink our potion." I muttered. We all picked up a glass bottle. We drank them. It was a potion, so that if some one found us out, they couldn't drug or poison our food. I ran over Corosco's instructions in my head. "Zabizar is very proud. He likes to uphold honor. He is very competitive. So, outsmart him. Challenge him to a wine drinking contest. Don't let a drop past your lips, we need you sober. "Then , when the time seems right, ask him about the new secret base. If all goes to plan, he'll tell you." I remember Corosco winked at Synge and Narashia. "And if all else fails, bat your eyelashes like crazy." "Giovanni, ready? The girls are ready!" Josh snapped. We rushed out the dressing room door. It was time to descend the grand staircase. The girls exited their dressing room. They looked like ornaments. Synge was covered from head to toes in Gold, Narashia was adorned in silver. They were stunning. I suppose those eyelashes were a good form of hypnosis. We bowed to each other. I stared at Synge. She wore a dress of blood red. Her bushy brown hair was curled atop her head in an elegant knot. The golden circlet rested atop her forehead. I thought I saw her pokeballs glitter in the candlelight. She winked. Her dress was trimmed with golden thread. Her fingers and wrists covered with jewelry. She wore a belt of Golden chain links. She flounced away. She bowed to Each of us in turn, that was customary. Anu stood at the top of the staircase. Synge took his arm. I saw her back. There was a thin silver rod. She had her awl hidden in the bodice of her dress. Narashia was next, she began the customary bowing. Her dress was a deep blue, it had a velvet bodice. The sleeves and skirt were silk. Her belt was heavy silver links. She still wore her hair in the "tails" They were covered from top to bottom with silver and sapphires. She had a thick circle on her forehead. It tipped down, so it covered almost her whole forehead, except the sides. She smiled. She still wore her old brown boots. She took my arm. Josh followed last. He looked slightly sad at not having a partner. We saw him, Zabizar. The old wizard was more ordained than Synge, if that was possible. I saw a young wizard next to him. He wore a sword. I recognized him. The master apprentice. Coroni.  
Chapter 14 Narashia   
I held my head high, that was very difficult. My head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds from all the silver, and precious stones. I swallowed nervously. I gripped the skirt of my dress as we made our decent to the dining hall. I fingered my hammer. It was hidden in my skirt, incase I needed it. I hoped not. We stared at the long dining table. Everything was so fancy. I thought longingly of my wooden bowl and spoon; comfortably eating rice and beans while sitting on my cot; chattering with Synge, and Josh. I let go of Giovanni's arm. Coroni took the seat at my right hand side. Isolating me from the rest of them. One of the main evil ones was sitting so close to me. Waves of fear rushed through my body. "You must be the Lady Ahanakana." Coroni asked. "Me? Er, yes I am." I said nervously. I hoped I wouldn't blow our cover. I remembered Corosco's words, 'If all else fails, bat your eyelashes.' I couldn't. The waiter passed us bowls of soup and goblets of wine. "Do you like your soup?" Coroni asked. He broke the silence. "It is very good." I said. I tried to act like a gentle lady. You have no idea how hard that is. "Yes, those scoundrel Dark Riders, as they call themselves, ransacked a properly captured village last night." Zabizar said. He said Dark Riders with a joke in his voice. "Yes, I believe we have all heard of the Dark Riders, Zabizar." Synge said lazily. "Milady, I was just saying, well, you might not know, I mean, we all know how ignorant court women are." He flashed a glance at me. "This court Lady you insult, Zabizar is also a doctor. And may I remind you to hold your insulting tongue, for you may find it being fed to the dogs." Coroni roared. Zabizar backed down. He didn't dare compete against Coroni. There was more course changes, and wine being poured. "I dare say, Zabizar, how's about we wager on who can drink the most wine, eh?" Anu offered. "Your on, nobody drinks more than Zabizar." They nursed their cups. I watched Anu put the Goblet to his lips. He appeared to be drinking as much wine as Zabizar chugged it down by the keg. Not a drop passed his lips. Zabizar seemed to be acting a little tipsy. "Fool, never backs down to challenge." Coroni said in utter disgust. There was a sharp beep. Coroni removed a small, flat, blue stone from his pocket. "Excuse me for a moment." He said. He got up, and left the dining area. "Stupid Git." JOsh muttered. "Zabizar, where's the new base?" Giovanni asked. "can't tell ya." Zabizar said slowly. "Please?" Synge asked. She batted her eyelashes. "OKay, Twenty-two, fourty-four,twelve." He said to her. A very strong hypnosis. I memorized that combo. Numbers?  
Okay, we were almost out, one more course, and then we bailed. The waiter handed out the desert. A chocolate eclair with vanilla sauce. Josh licked his lips and dug in. Certainly not the way a spirit tamer would act. Zabizar flashed a funny look at Josh, but ignored it. Coroni sat down at the table again. Josh licked the last bit of vanillaa from his fingers. "I think a walk in the garden would be in order." Coroni said. We all agreed, anything to get out of the stuffy palace. Everything was going completely to plan. We walked out in the garden. Coroni offered me his arm. I nervously took it. The seven of us stopped in frront of a giant hedge maze. Perfect. Right to plan. "I say, Zabizar. A race through the maze. The five of us against the two of you." Giovanni offered. "All right, shall we say, a bag of silver if you win, what if we do?" "Er.." Anu started. "A kiss from both the girls." Coroni finished. He turned scarlet. "The duchess can kiss me!" Zabizar grinned. The smile was wiped from Synge's face. "I'll have a servant place this silver on the stump at the end of the maze. I'll give you five a head start." "Go!" It was hard to run in our dresses. We trotted along like fancy women. It was part of the plan to escape the hedge maze. I had all the twists and turns memorized. I led the way. Right, left, straight. Turn. Right, right, left. Straight. We hustled through the maze. We reached the end. We were all tired. I saw the stump. Giovanni grabbed the bag of gold. Anu placed the carefully wrritten note on the stump. I remember the words.   
We're dreadfully sorry, we couldn't wait. I'm afraid. We will see you again.   
We disappeared from the palace garden by way of pokemon. We returned to the HQ with news. We quickly changed back into our old clothes. "Numbers? What can that mean?" We were lounging about in the room. "I don't know, but I know one thing. Coroni has the hots for Narashia!" JOssh giggled insanely. "What makes you say that?" Synge asked. "Did you see the way he was looking at her the whole night?" "Kind of logy." Synge added. They both giggled. "Shut-" I started. "Twillight Riders, I have someone I want you to meet." Corosco said. We all gaped at the figure at the end of the hallway.  
Chapter 15 Synge   
The figure was tall and sleek. He wore a coat of deep tan rushes. It reached to his knees. I could see his brown leather boots, and the bottom cuffs of his pants. He wore a blue Topi cap- the kind of cap which points a little at the top of the head and runs down past the side of the neck-That covered his hair and his whole neck. He had another piece of blue cloth which shielded his face from view, below his eyes. He had a bow, a crossbow, and a sword attached to his back. "So your not the only archer in the Dark Riders now, Giovanni." I said. I stared at the boy in front of me. He removed the front part of the topi. He pulled off the rest of it. "A girl?" Josh asked to her short, chin legnth brown hair. "This is Aquila, a bounty hunter ally of the Dark Riders." Corosco said. "You trust a bounty hunter?" Giovanni spat. "She-she's a bounty hunter! An assasin, a spy, a wizard lover!" "Not up to your usual standard Giovanni, I am no counter spy, I do not love the wizards, though, I will not deny that I have been assigned to do assasin's work." Aquila said flatly. "Anu, you, of all people, should know that the only reason you are not a slave is because of Aquila." "How did she help him?" Giovanni said. He didn't seem to like Aquila very much. "The iron for your arrows, your friends life, your bow, Giovanni, were paid for by the wizards, by what the wizards have paid me." She pulled a hand from under her rush coat. It was half gloved. A type of gauntlet I have never seen before. It ran up her hand slightly below her fingers. She had a thin yarn that tied them to her middle finger, so it didn't fall off. "Aquila will be aiding you on your next mission, tomorrow night. Get to know each other." Corosco left. Aquila bowed slightly. I led her into our room. She sat on the floor, the rest of us sat on our cots. "Where are you from?" Anu asked. He seemed to be quite taken with her, once he found out that his life came out of her salary. "From a small village high in the mountains. To the east." "I don't trust her, Synge, look. Look at how different she is. Those arrowheads, they're stone!" Giovanni hissed in my ear. "I wouldn't care any more if they were wooden." I hissed back. "But, those clothes, do you know what people wear that?" I gasped. Aquila, Aquila was a Shamishi. Those people lived high atop the mountains, they were born warriors, legend says that all Shamishi would bow to the wizards, or they would be wiped out. But, no one knew where they went, they disappeared from their mountain one day, long ago, when the Dark Riders needed them. "Whatever happened to the Shamishi?" I asked. "They say, they joined the Dark." I flashed a cruel look across the room. At the girl sitting there, she was a Dark spy. Or at least, a counter spy. Narashia, Josh, and Anu were all having a pleasant talk with our little wizard lover. "Don't talk to her, she's a wizard lover!" I yelled. "She's a Samishi!"Giovanni added. "What are you talking about?" Josh protested. "Shamishi, leave this place, or I will have to make you!" Giovanni pulled out his bow. He ****ed an arrow. Aquila stood up. She looked like she was going to leave. "I will not deny it, I am a Shamishi." He fired. She caught the arrow in her left hand. "You have not heard my story, have you, Giovanni, and you Synge." She closed her eyes. Giovanni was too startled by her reflexes to fight back. "Yes, I come from the one Shamishi village high on the mountain. Life was hard there. Hardly enough food and water to live on. The Dark introduced themselves to our village. They offered peace, and food. We were hungry, so we believed them. The rest of Anocia wouldn't have given us food, if we needed it. We have served their king for hundreds of years, they have never returned the favor. "We did serve the wizards. We trained their troops. We made one fatal mistake. They are proud, we made ourselves seem to smart in some way. They turned on us one day, that day, more than a year ago. Our way of life, was all gone within one day. "The believed that we would soon become smart enough to defeat them. They wanted warriors, stupid allies that would believe their lies. We had just seen through them. "I was out, gettin herbbs for the infirmary. I was about to enter town again. I heard their leader say. 'Kill every Shamishi in this village, we have gathered enough from them.' I ran and hid for a mere hour. I entered the village again. All was quiet. I am the one last, remaining Shamishi." The room became quiet. The legends, the rumors were false. Corosco must have believed it as well. "I became a bounty hunter. I waited for revenge, when I could prove my true hertiage to all thee wizards, when I could kill them off in one swift stroke. I have dreamed of nothing else since, but that day, when all the wizards were dead." Giovanni stood up. "The Shamishi are our allies now."  
Chapter 16 Josh   
I held my breath. I looked at Aquila with newfound trust. All of us stared at Aquila when We found out what she was. Corosco walked into the room. "Aquila, can you head up to the library, WE need to work on this mystery." "Sure thing, Corosco." Aquila said obediently. She walked up stairs to the library. "So you found out she's a Shamishi?" Corosco asked. "Yeah." Giovanni scratched his neck nervously. "She's more alone than any of you can possibly imagine. But, you have no need to fear her, or not give her your trust." "She is a Dark Rider then?" I asked. "Compared to what she could be, Aquila is very forgiving. Your lucky to still have your head, Giovanni. I suggest you go and help her with that number mystery." I remember the line of the Shamishi poem, written in all the Anocia history books.   
As unforgiving as the tip of their stone arrows. Insult their nature, and be prepared to take your final breath. That will be the last thing you ever do.   
We hurried to the dimly lit library, which was in the upper floors of the mansion. Aquila sat at a desk, submerged into her book. "Looking for the numbers?" Anu asked. "Uh huh." She flipped a few pages. "I still think it's the number for a city, a hidden one." I offered. "Couldn't be. We've got scouts everywhere, they would have seen them building something." Synge muttered. "Unless, it was built before our time." Narashia said. "How do you mean?" "Let's say, a hundred years ago." Giovanni sputtered with laughter. "It would be crumbling by now!" "It could happen." Aquila sprang to Narashia's defense. "No, give me that book Aquila!" Synge yelled. "Shh. We're in a library!" I hissed. She flipped through the book, she found a map. "What if those numbers are-" she started. "Co-ordinates!" I yelled forgetting the library rule. "Hypocrite." Synge muttered under her breath. "That's what I was going to say. Twenty two." She found the line. Forty four. Twelve. She put her finger on that one point. "It can't be, that's impossible!" Giovanni yelled. "I still say it was mumblings of a drunken man!" I yelled. The new hideout, for the wizards. Lay directly in the center of Lake Appu.  
  
Chapter 17 Aquila  
  
Aquila I am, Dark Rider I am, Bounty Hunter I am. Twilight Rider I am not.  
"It can't be under the lake." Giovanni muttered.  
"It doesn't seem, right..."I added. How could a whole fortress lie beneath the waters of a giant lake?  
"Think about it." Narashia started. "What's a better place to hide a fortress beneath water, where no one could see it. It could even be under the bottom of the lake."  
"I'm sure it is, but how do we get there?" Anu asked.  
"Are you coming with us, Aquila?" Synge asked.  
"No, I have duties. I know that area well. I'll take you to the lake. There my protection for you ends."  
"Your protection?" Giovanni snapped. "We've never needed your help before."  
"How exactly do you know that there won't be any wizards along the way?"  
Giovanni opened his mouth to give a very snide remark. He sat down. I didn't think he would challenge me.  
  
"Beneath the lake?" Corosco asked.  
"Uh huh."  
"Well then. Aquila, you will help my spies to the lake. There you are free to do as you wish."  
He turned to his Twillight Riders.  
"The reason I wanted you to find the fortress was because a valuable amulet was taken from a few of our soldiers, a very powerful amulet. It has the power to grant invisibility for the bearer. It has been stolen into the clutches on the fortress. Kill the guards sparingly. We don't want to raise any alarm. Getting caught might be the last thing you do there. Leave the same way you entered."  
"How long until we leave?" I asked.  
"An hour, you'll need a fair amount of time to get to the lake."  
He cleared his throat. "Take separate rides."  
Narashia raised an eyebrow.  
"Um, but, Narashia doesn't have a ponyta or anything." Josh said.  
"I could lend her my Pidgeot. I'm taking my Tauros." I said.  
"Good. Get ready. Eat, be ready for final instructions at the end of an hour."  
Josh licked his lips, "They have soup today."  
  
It was a short hour. Corosco's words echoed through my head. "Getting caught might be the last thing you do."   
I'm actually rather worried about those Twilight Riders.  
Narashia flew up on my Pidgeot with Josh and his Noctowl.  
I wore the cloak of a Dark Rider. I wasn't to be seen. I still executed wizards for other wizards, I didn't want to break trust with them.  
I pulled out both my Bow and Crossbow. I pulled out two arrows. I loaded one into the crossbow. I slung the bow around my neck. I held the stone arrow in my mouth.  
I urged Tauros into a gallop.  
We ran through the meadow. It was dangerous to walk there.  
We reached the edge of the trees. I heard a short, brisk, SNAP! An arrow that was burning with magic fire landed at Tauros's feet. I quickly recalled it. I pulled out my bow and clipped the crossbow to my belt. I readied the arrow. Giovanni did the same.   
"Far to the East!" I heard Narashia yell.  
We were being attacked.  
Chapter 18 Giovanni  
  
We were being attacked. Arrows of fire hit every tree. The arrows had magic fire, so it didn't burn the countryside.  
We saw the Dark emerge from the woods opposite ours.  
Aquila shot a few arrows. I fired some of my own.  
There was a snap and a scream. I looked up. Pidgeot's wing was pierced by an arrow. Narashia beat out the flame. She was tossed from the bird's back. She put both her hands around the injured bird's neck.  
She swung wildly. Josh circled blow her, trying to catch her, narrowly missing being hit by more burning arrows.  
"Narashia, listen. Unhook the cloak from your neck and hold onto it with one hand!" Aquila called.  
Narashia was reluctant to remove one hand. She unhooked the cloak and held it in her left hand.   
Aquila redied an arrow. She ran out into the field. She called back her Pidgeot.  
Narashia clutched the air. She began to fall.  
"What are you doing?" I yelled angrily.  
Fwap! Narashia still clutched the cloak in her left hand. But, she was no longer falling.  
She hung from a tree by her cloak. One of Aquila's stone arrows stuck out from the tree. Narashia grabbed the cloak in two hands now.   
"You could have killed her!" I yelled.  
There was a sudden rip. Anu stood under her trying to figure out how to get her down. The cloak ripped. She plummeted into Anu's arms.  
She looked thoroughly shaken.  
More fire arrows. One came at Aquila. She caught it in front of her. She shot its owner with his own arrow.  
Josh landed. He didn't recall his Noctowl.  
"What did you do? Calling back a pokemon some one is hanging from?" Josh gave her some angry looks.  
"I'm fine!" Narashia insisted.  
"But, still why did you do that?" I asked.  
"Your friend is alive, and so is my Pidgeot."  
"You could have killed her about twice. Why didn't you let Noctowl catch her?"  
An archer approached. I could see his quiver of burning arrows.  
He turned to the side. Fwap! He fell with one stroke of her crossbow.  
"I say we run." Synge said.  
We climbed on our pokemon. Narashia rode with me.  
She's a traitor. I know it.   
We reached the lake, I saw the crystalline surface.  
Aquila vanished. "You can go on your own now."  
It's now or never.  
  
Chapter 19 Synge  
  
It was time. For us to forget everything that just happened. To swim into the depths of the lake. To brave the murky waters.  
"Call out your water pokemon." Anu said. We were joined by several water pokemon.  
"Golduck!"  
"Starrr."  
"Seadra!"  
Josh waded out into the waters. He called out his pokemon. "Gyradooooossss!"  
"I- I don't have any water pokemon..." I muttered.  
"Gyrados is big enough for all five of us. I'm fairly sure that it can carry two." Josh said.  
"You don't understand, I don't know how to swim..."  
"Cling to Gyrados." Narashia shrugged. We all waded into the freezing waters. The bottom of our cloaks billowed.  
Gyrados had its head stuck above the surface.  
"You won't let Synge drown now would you?" Josh scratched Gyrados under the chin.  
I can't believe I'm actually doing this. I clung to the giant pokemon's neck. I dug my fingers into the scales.  
Narashia had her arms wrapped around Starmie, all ready to dive. Giovanni wrapped his hands around Golduck's waist while Anu sat on the back of his Seadra.  
"Take a big breath now, Gyrados is going to show us where it found the underwater airlock." Anu said.   
One more breath.  
"All right, now." I took in a huge breath. We dove. The icy water went over my head. I snatched at the surface, and I almost tumbled off the diving Gyrados.  
Make my mind go blank...  
The others were coming around fine. They all kicked gently to speed their pokemon along.   
Gyrados took a sharp turn. My lungs burned from the lack of air, we were under for two minutes. It led us to a large pile of rocks. We went under them. I felt air! I lept up and took a breath. The others appeared from behind me.  
"Starmie, light screen." The small air pocket was lit up. Starmie's rainbow core glittered in its own light.  
"Ready?" Anu was in a hurry, you could tell.  
"No, I'm not going back under." I protested.  
"You have to Synge, do you want us to leave you to drown?" Giovanni snapped.  
"No, but."  
"You can ride in Gyrados's mouth." Josh offered.  
"I'm sure Gyrados won't swallow you."  
  
"I can't believe I'm doing this." I said loudly, in hope that all the others could hear me.  
I was cramped inside the mouth of that giant pokemon. I tried not to move, I was very afraid of being impaled by one of the pokemon's giant fangs.  
Gyrados wiggled its tongue, that meant that Josh was going to recall it soon. I took one deep breath. Gyrados opened its mouth and let me out. I swam quickly out and I began to float to the surface. Narashia grabbed me, and had me put my arms around Starmie. Anu pressed a button on the door. It opened. We swam inside.  
The door shut. The water emptied. We all breathed heavily.  
"How did you enjoy Gyrados's mouth?" Josh snickered.  
I pulled a length of Seaweed from my hair.  
"You really need to brush it's teeth." The stench of its breath was horrible, but still it was air, and I could breath as much as I wanted in there.  
The second door opened.  
We all stared down the empty stone hallways of the underwater fortress.  
  
Chapter 20 Anu  
  
We removed our leather boots as we were told. We can't go around making footprints on their stone floors now can we?  
We pulled out our weapons. We were ready. Bare feet traveled quickly and silently over the marble floors.  
"The amulet should be in the treasury." I hissed.   
"Where is the treasury?" Josh snapped.  
Narashia looked up. "I think we have a way we can avoid capture."  
We all stared at her. The air vents in the ceiling.  
"Great idea!" I said. The four other Twilight Riders hoisted me up. I pushed aside the metal grating. I grabbed the sides of the brick shaft and pulled up. I put down a hand, which Narashia took. I pulled her up into the cold wind shaft.  
We both hoisted up Synge, and the three of us pulled up Giovanni.  
We all lent a hand in grabbing Josh. We were inside the ceiling, now what?  
"Start crawling." I said. We slithered down the cold, cramped little tunnel. We had to crawl around the grates, they'd probably fall.  
We went down several corridors. Narashia stopped us at one particular grate. It was the grate into the treasury. The amulet sat on the table directly below us.  
"How do we get that?" Giovanni said.   
"Get out of the tunnel, jump down and grab it." Synge said.  
"What if they have wizards down there?" Josh muttered.  
Soon enough, there was a hacking cough and a snore. There were wizards down there.  
"Giovanni, give me your hook and rope." Narashia said quietly. he handed it to her. She pulled off the metal grating. She lowered the hook. It hit the table with a soft, thud.  
She wiggled the rope, on of the metal grippers fastened itself around the fine chain. She pulled it up again.  
"The amulet." Josh said. Narashia placed the metal grate where it once was. Josh accidentally crawled over it.  
There was a creak, and the grate fell below Josh's feet.  
  



End file.
